Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

Yan Pu hurriedly stepped forward and solemnly dissuaded him: "Master, you must not! Now Liu Bei's army is approaching Yangping, and Wei Yan occupies Dingjun Mountain, looking down at us with hostility. The safety of the entire Hanzhong region depends on the Yangping Pass line!"

"If Ma Chao is killed now, the morale of the army within the pass will be thrown into chaos. With only Generals Yang Ren and Yang Ang, they simply cannot withstand Liu Bei's army. Yangping Pass will surely fall, and Hanzhong will have no more defensible terrain!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu was even more at a loss, pacing back and forth: "This won't work, that won't work, what should we do in this situation?"

Seeing this, Yang Bai immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "Master, I have a plan to test Ma Chao's loyalty!"

Seeing this, Zhang Lu quickly asked, "What plan?"

"Immediately issue a military order, commanding Ma Chao to cross the pass and engage Liu Bei's army in a decisive battle!"

If he can repel the Shu army, he will be utterly loyal and worthy of being trusted; if he shrinks back and dares not fight, then the crime of treason will be undeniable and without a doubt!

"No!"

Yan Pu immediately retorted sharply: "Yangping Pass relies entirely on its natural defenses. If Ma Chao leads his main force out of the pass, the defenses will be weakened. Wei Yan could launch a surprise attack from Dingjun Mountain, or Liu Bei's army could launch a fierce assault. The pass would fall in an instant. This would be an act of self-destruction!"

"If we are afraid to fight and do not come out, then we will truly be handing Yangping Pass over to others!"

"If the gates are closed, Hanzhong will be in imminent danger!"

Yang Bai and Yan Pu were at loggerheads, arguing endlessly in court, each sticking to their own version of events, and the argument became increasingly heated.

Zhang Lu, already indecisive, was further confused by the two arguing, and coupled with his lingering suspicion of Ma Chao, after much deliberation, he finally listened to Yang Bai's words and gritted his teeth to give the order:

"Pass on my order: Ma Chao must immediately lead his troops out of the pass to engage Liu Bei in a decisive battle. Defeating the Shu army would be a great achievement. Even if the battle goes poorly, I will not pursue the matter further; I will only test his loyalty!"

……

The military messenger, carrying the documents, rushed to Yangping Pass, but was unexpectedly intercepted by the ambush troops arranged by Fa Zheng halfway there.

It turned out that Pang Tong and Fa Zheng had foreseen this, and ordered the messenger to be arrested. They then altered Zhang Lu's military order on the spot, changing the original statement of "no punishment if we cannot defeat him" to "if we cannot defeat Liu Bei's army, we will be punished for treason, subject to military law, and beheaded as a warning to the public!"

Subsequently, Fa Zheng ordered soldiers with similar accents to change into messenger clothing, carry the altered military order, and go to Yangping Pass to deliver the message.

The envoy entered the pass and handed the altered military order to Ma Chao.

Ma Chao unfolded it and took a look. His face turned ashen, and his heart turned ice-cold.

Zhang Lu was so suspicious, yet he still forced himself to fight a desperate battle against Liu Bei's army.

The general handed the order to Ma Dai, who looked troubled. "Brother," Ma Dai said, "this...this military order is too harsh. Going out to fight is tantamount to suicide!"

Ma Chao looked towards the pass and fell into deep thought.

Now he is living under someone else's roof, Zhang Lu is suspicious, and Yang Ren, Yang Ang and others are wary of him at every turn, leaving him with very few of his old Xiliang troops.

Although Pang De brought back 30,000 troops, most of them were infantry from Hanzhong, and their combat strength was far inferior to that of the Shu army.

Moreover, not only is Liu Bei's main force outside the pass eyeing us covetously, but Wei Yan is also poised to launch a surprise attack from Dingjun Mountain inside the pass at any moment. Once I lead my troops out of the pass, Wei Yan will surely cut off our retreat, and Yangping Pass will fall instantly. At that time, I will be caught between a rock and a hard place, and I will surely die.

Immediately, Ma Chao solemnly refused the envoy, saying, "This order must not be obeyed under any circumstances. If we go out of the pass, we will surely be defeated, and Yangping Pass will surely be lost!"

Tell the lord that since Ma Chao has led his troops to defend the pass, he will naturally not let Liu Bei's soldiers enter the pass. The lord can rest assured.

Upon hearing this, Yang Ren and Yang Ang exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disdain.

They were already at odds with Ma Chao. As veteran generals of Hanzhong, they were forced to serve under Ma Chao, and rumors were spreading throughout the region that Ma Chao was colluding with the enemy and betraying his lord, which made them even more hostile towards him.

Now that Zhang Lu has given his order, Ma Chao is still defying it.

Yang Ang immediately stepped forward and sternly rebuked, "Ma Chao! Your master's orders are hereby given; how dare you openly disobey them?"

Yang Ren coldly replied, "We will send troops to defend Dingjun Mountain Pass ourselves; you need not worry about it! If you insist on refusing to fight, it means you have something to hide and are secretly colluding with Liu Bei. We will immediately report this to Master Shi and have you punished!"

The two pressed closer and closer, drawing the attention of the former generals from Hanzhong, who were also watching closely. Ma Chao was squeezed into a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

Ma Dai immediately retorted angrily, "How can you be so unreasonable? This is clearly Liu Bei's scheme to sow discord!"

"I think it's you who are plotting a rebellion!"

"you!"

Ma Chao waved his hand, stopping Ma Dai and Yang Ang from arguing.

Looking at the few remaining Xiliang veterans under his command, and then at the aggressive Hanzhong general before him, the last shred of hope he had for Zhang Lu vanished completely, leaving him utterly disheartened.

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, remained silent for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Enough! Tomorrow at dawn, I will lead my troops out of the pass and fight Liu Bei!"

"Brother..."

Ma Dai tried to dissuade him, but Ma Chao stopped him.

Yang Ren, Yang Ang, and the others gave up when they saw that he had relented, and decided to wait and see how he would act the next day.

The next day at dawn, the gates of Yangping Pass swung open with a roar. Ma Chao personally led his thousand Xiliang cavalry out of the pass and formed ranks. His tiger-headed golden spear pointed diagonally at the ground, his silver armor was covered with morning frost, and his expression was extremely cold and solemn.

He was already overwhelmed by Zhang Lu's suspicion and the military order. This time, he was forced to go into battle. He only wanted to fight to his heart's content on the battlefield and also hoped to quell the criticism within the pass.

Upon seeing this, the Shu army camp sounded horns and opened its gates. Liu Bei stood at the front of the formation, looking calmly at Ma Chao, who stood outside the pass with his spear.

Huang Zhong, who could no longer contain himself, spurred his horse forward and shouted, "My lord, this humble general requests to fight! Let us meet Ma Chao again!"

Liu Bei nodded in agreement and said in a deep voice, "Hansheng, be careful and do not underestimate the enemy!"

Huang Zhong agreed, drew his sword, spurred his horse, and charged straight into the formation. His crimson sword gleamed with a chilling light in the morning sun.

Ma Chao looked up and saw it was the same old general from the day before. His eyes narrowed slightly, but a hint of fighting spirit also rose within him. He shouted, "Old fool, you still dare to fight?"

"You brat from Xiliang, dare to speak so arrogantly! Today we'll settle this with a single battle!"

As soon as Huang Zhong finished speaking, he spurred his horse and charged straight forward, his Crimson Blood Blade flashing with fierce light as he slashed at Ma Chao.

Ma Chao parried with his spear, the clang of metal echoing across the plains, and both men's horses staggered back several steps.

Immediately, Ma Chao thrust his spear straight forward, the spear flashing like lightning, each move aimed directly at vital points; Huang Zhong met him with his sword, his sword strikes heavy and powerful, displaying the fierce courage of an old general, showing no sign of being at a disadvantage.

The two fought fiercely together from dawn until noon, when the sun was high in the sky and dust filled the air.

Gunfire and sword flashes clashed, horses' hooves pounded the ground, and after more than a hundred rounds, they were still evenly matched, with neither able to gain the upper hand.

Both men fought with increasing ferocity, their bodies drenched in sweat, yet neither was willing to retreat even a step. This sight captivated the soldiers on both sides, who held their breath and completely forgot everything around them.

On the city wall inside the pass, Yang Ren and Yang Ang stood side by side, staring at the two people locked in battle, their faces growing increasingly gloomy.